GP3: Zamparelli tops first day of testing

Dino Zamparelli set the pace on the opening day of 2014 pre-season testing for the GP3 series at Estoril.

The ART driver finished the morning session with a time of 1m29.145s, a benchmark that would stay unbeaten after the afternoon session was hit by heavy rain.

The downpour, however, came after Jimmy Eriksson had managed to top the times after the lunch break to finish less than a tenth of a second off Zamparelli's time.

Briton Alex Lynn was third quickest for Carlin, ahead of teammate Emil Bernstorff and Nick Yelloly in the Status car. All their times were set in the morning.

Rain hit the circuit some 45 minutes into the afternoon session, with the teams limiting their running after that point.

Victor Carbone caused the first red flag of the day when his Trident car stopped on track early in the afternoon. Luis Sa Silva triggered the second stoppage when he spun into the gravel while the track was wet.

GP3 newcomer Hilmer was absent from the test and will join the action later this month at Jerez.